Meeqaats (Boundaries) for Ihraam

The meeqaats (places for donning ihraam) are five: Dhul Hulaifah, Al-Juhfah, Qarn-ul Manaazil, Yalamlam and Dhaatu ‘Irq. They are for those who live there and those who pass by them intending Hajj or ‘Umrah. If a person’s house is nearer to Makkah then he makes ihraam from his house, the people of Makkah making ihraam from Makkah.

DHUL HULAIFAH is the place for the people of Madeenah and is a village six or seven miles away – and it is the furthest meeqaat from Makkah – being ten riding stations away – or less depending on the route, there being many routes from there to Makkah as Ibn Taimiyyah (rahimahullaah) points out. And it is called Waadi ul ‘Aqeeq, and its masjid is called Masjid-ush-Shajarah (Mosque of the Tree), and there is a spring/well there called The Spring of ‘Ali. The ignorant masses believe that Sayyidunaa ‘Ali (RadiyAllaahu ‘anhu) killed a jinn there – and that is a lie.

AL-JUHFAH is a village between Madeenah and Makkah – about three travel stages away. It is the meeqat for the people of Madeenah if they come by this route. Ibn Taimiyyah (rahimahullaah) said: “It is the meeqaat for those who make Hajj from the direction of the west, like the people of Shaam (Greater Syria) and Egypt and the rest of the West.” Today it is ruined and deserted, therefore the people now go into ihraam before it in the place called Raabigh.

QARN UL MANAAZIL – which is also called Qarn-uth-Tha’aalib is near Makkah, being a day and night’s journey away. It is the meeqaat for the people of Najd.

YALAMLAM is a place two nights away from Makkah, about thirty miles away. It is the meeqaat for the people of Yemen.

DHAATU ‘IRQ is a place out in the desert, marking the border between Najd and Tihaamah, forty-two miles from Makkah. It is the meeqaat for the people of ‘Iraq.